


Whiskey and the Lovebirds

by SuperfriendlyFox



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Day 3, F/F, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, Light Angst, Supercorp Week 2K17, Supergirl Identity Reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 05:36:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11891127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperfriendlyFox/pseuds/SuperfriendlyFox
Summary: Lena finds unexpected allies in her quest to get Kara to reveal the truth. Supercorp Week 2k17 Day 3: Supergirl Identity Reveal





	Whiskey and the Lovebirds

It was a dark and stormy night. Lena closed her balcony door before sitting down with Kara on the brown corduroy couch. Clutching her tumbler, she handed Kara a glass of soda. Their fingers brushed.

Kara blushed.

Lena smirked. But her heart was much less cocky and betrayed her, skipping off into the elevator and riding up into the sky.

Kara looked down at Lena’s chest like she could hear it.

Lena noticed.

Neither woman noticed the lovebirds huddled together outside the window behind them.

*****

Out on the ledge, two parrots watched the women intently through the rain-streaked glass. 

_Harold,_ cheeped the less colorful bird. _Look! Miss Lena’s touching Miss Kara’s knee!_

Her partner chirped merrily. _They’re best friends!_

_Harold, they’re lesbians._

_What are lesbians, Mabel?_

_Creatures with similar plumage, who mate. Often they live with cats._

Harold chirped in fear, then relief. Luckily Miss Lena was a sensible lesbian.

_But how will they mate, Mabel? Miss Lena will never attract Miss Kara with those drab colors._

Mabel agreed. Miss Lena hardly ever adorned herself in red. Except for that blip on her beak.

The birds leaned in then, their own beaks grazing the window. Miss Kara was removing her dark blue outer layer! To reveal... plain white plumage underneath. Meh.

Mabel let out a peep, its tone as close to a sigh as a bird could make. _Harold. We shall have to help them._

*****

Kara dropped her navy blue cardigan in a crumpled heap on the sofa.

Lena reluctantly removed her hand from Kara’s knee and picked up the sweater. She folded it, and placed it neatly on the coffee table, next to Kara’s oversized handbag.

_In case a few drinks in things get messy._

She turned back toward Kara. “Your collar’s crooked.” She smiled. “Here, let me.”

Lena fingered the soft white fabric, her eyes never leaving Kara’s. Kara’s blush returned. Lena’s smile turned evil. She smoothed out the collar. _I could just, pull it back a bit farther, reveal that bright blue suit underneath, expose my_ best friend _as the liar she is..._

Lena abruptly released Kara’s collar. Her _best friend_ had a right to her secrets. Perhaps Lena being a Luthor had played some small part in Kara’s deception. But she was a superhero, for heaven’s sake, used to hiding her identity for survival.

Some best friend she would be if she pushed Kara out of the superhero closet.

But perhaps she could gently, oh so gently, let Kara know that she already knew, and Kara might step out willingly.

Lena finally broke eye contact and stood up from the couch. Hearing Kara release her breath, she moved toward the liquor cabinet, feeling Kara’s eyes on her back.

Or, perhaps, lower than her back?

She poured herself another two fingers of whiskey. “Are you certain I can’t offer you something harder than club soda, Kara?” She looked back at her friend. “Not that I’m trying to get you drunk or anything.”

Kara’s eyes hurriedly moved back up to Lena’s. “I didn’t think you were. And I’m fine with soda, Lena. Thank you.”

“Are you hungry? Can I make you a sandwich? Or several sandwiches?” Lena teased.

*****

Lena stared as Kara happily munched away on her fifth sandwich.

“It never fails to amaze me, the sheer volume you eat, Kara. You ought to be in the Guinness Book of World Records. I’ve only ever met one other person who could consume as much food as you.”

“You’ve met a Guinness World Record holder?” Kara joked. 

“No, actually. A friend of yours.”

Kara looked over curiously as she started to take another bite. 

“Clark? Clark Kent?”

Kara’s mouth totally missed the bread and ham, smearing mustard on her cheek. “You’ve seen Clark eat?” she squeaked.

Lena laughed. “He and Lex were friends growing up.” She grabbed a tissue from the coffee table and reached over, gently wiping Kara’s cheek. “We needed to be wealthy just to restock the refrigerator each time he came over.”

Kara watched warily as Lena got up from the sofa again.

“I’ve been thinking you two have _a lot_ in common.” Lena’s eyes glinted mischievously. She turned and disappeared into the kitchen, calling behind her. “You’re both big city journalists, from small towns, who each have such passion for truth... justice... and--”

She re-entered the living room, carrying a plate filled with bread, cold cuts, and-- 

“American cheese on that?”

*****

Kara busied herself with building a super sandwich. One she was going to busy herself with eating, and not talking, so she could concentrate and calmly think through this unexpected and highly unwelcome problem.

 _Rao,_ did Lena suspect she was Supergirl? She’d thought, while Lena was touching her collar with that look in her eyes she’d only ever seen on lions and tigers and black widow spiders in National Geographic specials, that _finally_ Lena was going to put the both of them out of their misery and make a move.

But she’d been wrong, so wrong. Why in the known and all the as-yet-unknown universes would Lena fall for unexciting, rent-contolled-studio-apartment-living, junior reporter Kara Danvers? It only made sense that Lena had suspected her all along. Maybe she’d become friends with Kara just in order to unmask her. Alex and James and everyone else in National City was right. Lena was a Luthor, and the Luthors were not to be trusted.

 _No,_ you’re _wrong, ppppphbthhhhh!_ She mentally held her palms to her ears to block out the unkind, uninvited thoughts. _I’m not listening, I can’t hear you! Lena’s my_ best friend. _She would never do anything to hurt me. Maybe she does suspect I’m Supergirl, okay, but it’s because she wants to date me and just wants to know for sure ahead of time exactly how strong I am so we can have the boundaries talk before I rip her black pencil skirt off and--_

“Kara, are you all right? You’re hyperventilating.”

Lena rubbed soothing circles on Kara’s back as she fought to keep it together. _Even if I never get to take off her skir-- I mean, take her out for a nice, respectful dinner--_

“That’s it, Kara, breathe, that’s a good girl. You’re doing so well.”

 _\--she deserves to know the truth. She’s my_ best friend, _and yet I’ve been lying to her for months. I need to tell her. But... I_ can’t _tell her. Alex will kill me. James and J’onn will gravely disapprove. Of me telling her, not of Alex killing me. Then Pam in HR will call Alex into her office and... thank her for killing me._ Just thinking about Pam in HR made Kara cringe. _The way she taps her pencil against her desk as she looks up at you like she’s planning to perform Chinese water torture on you, except with her pencil, because her pencil is so much closer than the water cooler.... oh Rao I can hear her pencil right now... Aaarrgghh! How is it that I can actually hear her???_

Suddenly she realized, that tapping sound was _not_ in her head, nor was her super hearing ignoring every other sound in the city to focus in on Pam. Kara turned, confused, and saw two little beaks beating furiously against the window.

“Lena! There are birds outside your window!”

Lena quickly slipped next to Kara on the couch, her hands moving to undo the lock. She paused. The birds seemed to understand her intention and waddled to the side as Lena gently pushed the window open.

To both their surprise, the birds seemed to take a moment, then flew inside.

“Lena! There are parrots in your apartment!”

Lena took her eyes off the birds, flying in a circle above their heads, to gaze at Kara, her heart bursting with warmth at the look of sheer wonder and joy on Kara’s face.

“They visit me sometimes on the balcony. I think they belong to someone in the building. I’ve tried to lure them inside, but they never took the bait before.” She smiled, this time kindly. “Food doesn’t seem to affect them as it does you.”

Kara squealed in excitement as the parrots dropped from the ceiling and alighted on the couch between them.

“Lena! They’re not even scared of us!”

Kara’s excitement and wonder turned to shock and confusion as the larger bird suddenly climbed atop the smaller bird’s back.

“Lena? What are they doing?”

“Mating, would be my educated guess?”

*****

Harold glanced up at the wide eyes and open beaks above them.

_They’re not taking the hint, Mabel. Maybe they don’t understand what we’re doing?_

_What else could we be doing, Harold? Clambering on another’s back is the universal sign for mating._

_Then why are they just watching us?_

Mabel realized this was going to be harder than she’d thought. _Maybe they think we’re exhibitionists. We’ll have to try something else._

Harold hopped off of Mabel, ready for Plan B.

When Plan Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! suddenly presented itself in a whirl of whiskers and claws and fur that pounced on top of the couch.

Lena started. Kara screamed. Feathers flew.

_Mabel! When did Miss Lena start living with a cat?!?_

_I don’t know!_ squawked Mabel. _I guess she’s a normal lesbian after all!_

*****

“Whiskey! No!” yelled Lena. She scooped up the brown tabby and flitted down the hall. Opening the door to the guest bath, she gently placed him on the floor.

“It’s just for a little while. I’m sorry.”

*****

Whiskey glared at his mistress as she softly closed the door.

He eyed the litter box.

His next thought was of Lena’s favorite shoes.

*****

Lena sat back down on the sofa. The birds, surprisingly, were still flying around the apartment, despite her having left the window open.

“I’m sorry, Kara. I thought he was sleeping in my bedroom. That’s his favorite spot to hang out.”

“I didn’t know you had a cat, Lena.”

“I’ve only had him a couple weeks. Jess’s boyfriend moved in with her, and he’s allergic.” _By which I mean, Whiskey is allergic to jerks._ “I’m really only keeping him till she’s done with this one.”

“That’s not very optimistic of you.”

“Someone worthy of her would tolerate a few sniffles so she could keep her beloved cat. But Jess doesn’t have the highest self-esteem when it comes to her personal life.” _I should talk. I’ve been chickening out on asking Kara on a date for three months now._

Kara chuckled. “I wouldn’t have pegged Jess for a drinker.”

“His actual name is Whiskers, but I refuse to call him that. Outside of work, Jess is a total cheeseball.”

“Oh?”

“Last year she had a goldfish named Pumpkin.”

‘What happened to Pumpkin?”

“What will hopefully _not_ happen to our two esteemed guests.”

Kara’s eyes followed the birds flying about, down the hall toward’s Lena’s bedroom and back. “It’s a wonder they didn’t fly out the window to get away from Whiskey.” She smiled at Lena. “They must be very fond of you.”

“Maybe. Though I’m sure if they visited _your_ apartment on a regular basis, they’d grow even fonder of _you.”_

*****

Kara was certainly fond of Lena’s beautiful, twinkling green eyes. And her smiling, make that smirking, red-- _What shade is that? What shade would I use to paint Lena’s mouth? Carmine? Rose madder?_

Lena looked back up at the flying parrots. “Birds are amazing, aren’t they?”

Kara nodded, still fixated on Lena’s luscious lips. _Alizarin crimson? Fire engine red?_

“They can fly all on their own.”

_Although I kind of prefer when she wears the burgundy shades..._

“They don’t need a bus.”

_Fuuuuuuuuuu-- fire truck! Rao, she knoooooooows!_

*****

Any moment now, Kara was going to break.

Lena’s breath hitched. Kara would confess, admit she’d been lying to Lena for months. Lena would forgive her, and then confess she’d been lying as well, lying about how deep her feelings for Kara went.

Lena suddenly realized, she didn’t have to be the one to go out on a limb! No, she could get Kara to reveal she was Supergirl, _and_ the real meaning behind all those lip bites and longing gazes-- all at the same time! She could kill two birds with-- Lena looked up at the lovebirds guiltily. _Horrible choice of idiom. How to rephrase that? Birds... birds..._ Lena could think of nothing but birds. _A bird in hand is worth two in the--_ She glanced down at Kara’s crotch. _Lena you moron, you’re a certified genius. Surely you can come up with an appropriate figure of speech, one that doesn’t involve violence to pets or mentally undressing your best friend._

*****

Mabel and Harold hovered in the hallway, watching Miss Lena and Miss Kara each doing a terrible job of trying to woo the other, with no breathtaking flights, imaginative songs or thoughtfully choreographed dances.

_Harold, we have to somehow lure them to the nest in the back where Miss Lena keeps all her feathers. We’ll have to create a commotion._

_What’s a commotion, Mabel?_

_Just pretend Miss Lena’s cat is attacking you again._

_Oh Mabel, I don’t think I can relive that moment._

_Harold. Think of all the little human eggs that will never hatch, all because Miss Lena’s instincts are sorely lacking in proper mating technique._

Harold agreed. Miss Lena's genes would not survive in the animal world on her own. 

*****

Which was how-- after satisfying herself that Whiskey was indeed still a prisoner of the porcelain throne-- Lena wound up standing with Kara inside her walk-in closet, watching the lovebirds flap around her skirts and coats.

“Lena? Now what are they doing?”

“Maybe they’re planning on putting on a different kind of show for us?”

*****

Mabel gave Lena’s fuchsia coat the once-over.

 _Mabel! Look at this! Now_ here’s _some plumage._

She looked over to see Harold pulling a string of bright yellow feathers off the top shelf of the nest. She grabbed the other end of the plume, and together they flew it over and dropped it around Lena’s neck.

*****

“A feather boa? Niiice. I didn’t know you perform burlesque in your free time.”

Lena giggled. “It’s from a phase I went through. I really don’t know why I keep it.” She wrapped it around her shoulders and started to work it, in what she hoped was an erotic dance that Kara would like.

“It kind of looks like a lasso,” Kara joked.

“It does, doesn’t it? The Lasso Of Hestia.” Lena’s embarrassed smile turned up at the corners. She took it off, fashioned it into a wide loop, and tossed it around Kara, tightening it at the waist. She pulled Kara close to her.

“Tell the truth, Miss Danvers. What are you wearing underneath that blouse?” _Never underestimate a Luthor, Supergirl. Especially a Luthor who wants to get into your pants._

Kara hesitated. “Just this old thing,” she said, pulling back her collar.

She dipped her hand inside her shirt and pulled out a flash of a bright blue... bra strap.

“I don’t often wear colored lingerie, but I got a coupon in the mail for Victoria’s Secret-- buy one, get a different style free! So I thought I’d go a little wild.”

It was Lena’s turn to blush.

Kara placed her hands over Lena’s. She gently pulled Lena’s fingers off the feather boa, one by one, then took hold of it, and easily slipped it off her waist.

Lena’s arms dropped to her sides.

Kara encircled Lena with the soft yellow plume.

Slowly, she backed Lena out of the closet, their eyes locked on each other. With a final nudge of knee against thigh, Lena found herself toppling back onto her bed.

Her eyes widened. Kara bent over her, placing a palm over each of her shoulders.

“Tell me Lena, do you regularly lure your friends inside your apartment, just to tease them mercilessly?”

“I don’t,” Lena whispered. “I don’t have that many friends.”

Kara stared down at her. Her smile dissolved. She pulled up, and pulled away from Lena.

“I’m sorry, Lena. I... I have to go.”

Kara scurried out of the bedroom. Lena bounded up and ran after her, the boa falling to the ground.

“Please don’t, Kara, I’m sorry!”

Kara hurried down the hall and through the living room, grabbing her handbag off the coffee table.

“I’m sorry, Kara. I’ve been a terrible friend. I’m sorry for how I acted, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I won’t do it again, I-- ”

Kara stepped out the door.

“Lena, it’s fine. You didn’t do anything wrong. I just... I have to go. I’ll see you later, yeah?” 

And with a last glance back and a weak smile, she closed the door behind her.

Lena fought back the ache in her throat.

She was not going to cry.

She was a big girl. She would comport herself accordingly. She would drink all the whiskey left in the apartment, and ponder the irony that, despite being a certified genius, she never got anything right.

Lena grabbed her tumbler and the whiskey bottle and moved out onto the balcony. It was still raining. Even the night sky was expressing its displeasure with her.

To her surprise the two lovebirds flew to join her. They settled onto the balcony rail, chirping a blue streak.

“Yes, I fully agree,” she answered them. “That was colossally stupid of me. Why would Kara want to _date_ me, when I can’t even be a good _friend_ to her?” She drained the tumbler, then immediately followed up with a large swig from the bottle.

*****

Mabel saw, behind Lena, a blur of blue and red streaking up into the sky. She turned to her partner.

_That’s it, Harold! That’s why Miss Kara is afraid to mate with Miss Lena! This has to do with Miss Kara’s double life!_

_Her what now?_

_Her secret. When she flies through the air in her tights and red cape, I’ve heard humans on the street call her-- what was it... A bird? No... A plane? No..._

_Supergirl!_ screeched Harold. _That’s Miss Kara? But they don’t look all that much alike._

Mabel looked down at her wing, thinking of humans she’d seen facepalming, and totally understanding.

_We must find Miss Kara and find a way to bring her back._

_But we can’t leave Miss Lena alone right now._

_She will be all right. Soon she will let the cat out, and feel compelled to care for it because she is a lesbian. Let’s away, Harold._

*****

Lena lowered the whiskey bottle in time to see the lovebirds launching off the balcony and flying away from the building.

_Great, even birds don’t want to hang out with me after what I did._

Lena had gone from having two friends in National City-- although, did she ever truly believe Supergirl _wasn’t_ Kara? So really, just the one--

To none.

But Jess was her friend, right? Hadn’t they progressed beyond the standard boss/employee relationship? Jess had even given her her cat. _Although..._ Lena glanced back inside the apartment... _He’s kind of a mean cat..._

*****.

She opened the bathroom door. Whiskey darted past her and into the bedroom.

_Not like I deserve even your company, after how I treated you._

She sighed, and leaned against the wall. She had a lot of meetings tomorrow. Best to go to bed, and hope to fix things with Kara tomorrow.

*****

They searched all over, to no avail. The city was large, and had a lot of nests.

They returned to find the balcony door closed.

They flew back to the window. It too was shut, and latched. Harold even tried to force it open to impress his-- _that is, to help Miss Lena._

Whom they could see now, sitting on the floor by the couch.

They beat their beaks against the glass, trying in vain to get Miss Lena’s attention. Watching her sit, with only a whiskey bottle to keep her company, clutching Miss Kara’s dark blue plumage to her chest and crying.

*****

The knock at her door, soft as it was, was still not soft enough for her pounding head. She’d asked Jess please not to disturb her. She’d promised to keep track of her schedule, and be in the conference room on time for each meeting.

Kara poked her head in carefully. “Hi.”

Lena’s grew eyes wide. “Hi!”

Kara padded into the room, her handbag slung over her shoulder, a stack of papers under her arm. “Well. I don’t know about you, Lena, but I had a terrible night...”

Lena flinched. She got up and rounded her desk, reaching a hand out to Kara. Kara didn’t back away, and yet Lena didn’t have the courage to touch her.

“I’m so sorry, Kara. I know it doesn’t make up for what I did, but, I do feel thoroughly punished for my bad behavior last night. I’m terribly hung over. This morning I stepped into my favorite shoes, only to find the toes filled with cat poo. And to top off everything, Jess laughed at me when I told her.”

She saw a smile tugging at Kara’s lips. “Please let me finish, Lena. There’s something I need to say to you.”

Lena nodded, uncomfortable, her eyes on the floor... on the carpet... on Kara’s comfortable flats, which undoubtedly had never been defiled by an angry pet.

“I left your place last night because I could no longer stand the situation I’d put us in. I went and... took care of a few things. I went to my workplace... my _other_ workplace, and spoke to my sister, and then her boss-- well, _our_ boss. It took me a couple hours to do... something I should have done a long time ago. I felt what was happening between us but was too scared to take the leap, when usually I just jump right into things. You said you haven’t been a good friend. Well, I’ve been worse.”

Lena hurriedly wiped away a tear.

“And then this morning I went down an elevator into the tenth circle of hell--"

"There are only nine." _Arghh, Lena, not the time._

"Not anymore. I was tortured by a horrible, nasty slug of a woman who has managed to con a whole secret governmental organization into believing she’s a Human Resources director.”

Lena couldn’t help but laugh. Kara liked _everybody._

“I mean it. Roz from _Monsters, Inc_ would consider her a bad person. And don’t get me started on her pencil.”

Lena watched Kara take the stack of forms from under her arm and place them on her desk. “So... you’ll need to sign these. Sorry to add to your mountain of paperwork.”

Lena started to say something. She stopped when she saw Kara unbuttoning her blouse. Lena’s eyes widened again.

Kara smiled shyly. “I suppose this is what you were expecting to see last night?”

She pulled apart her blouse to reveal, a red... bra?

“Shoot-- I forgot to wear it.”

Kara blushed and quickly started to re-button her shirt. Lena laughed. But out burst a sob left over from last night.

Kara let go of the buttons and put her arms around her.

“Oh, Lena. I should have talked it out with you last night instead of running away.”

Lena cried until she couldn’t anymore. Then she giggled. “Careful. Jess will think you’re hurting me, come in here and give you a cat.”

They stood there a few moments, together and content.

Lena sighed. “I promised Jess I wouldn’t forget my meeting at eleven.”

They reluctantly pulled apart.

“Can I come visit you on your balcony tonight, in between battles with aliens and saving stuck cats from trees?”

Lena smiled at her. “I would love that. Maybe the birds will visit us again. I’ll have to remember to hide all my shoes.”

Kara laughed. She opened her handbag, and pulled out the blue spandex suit, the red cape...

“I packed this up this morning and then totally forgot as soon as I saw your face. Annnnnnnd... I forgot my other boot.” She stuffed everything back inside her seemingly magical, bottomless bag.

“Was your suit in there last night all along?”

Kara grinned.

Lena laughed. “Well. I really must get to my meeting.” But instead of walking Kara out, she just gazed at her longingly.

Kara bit her lip.

*****

That night, the lovebirds arrived to find the window open, Miss Lena and Miss Kara on the couch. 

_Mabel!_

_Harold. They finally don't need our help._

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic. It started as an exercise to stretch my creativity. Then I realized if I pushed myself (i.e. didn't just write 2 lines a day while wallowing in self-loathing) I could get it done in time for Supercorp Week.


End file.
